Drought
Heh :3 ~~Eveningswift Allegiances Swayclan Leader Blazingstar, dark ginger tom Deputy Morningdrop, a dark silver tabby she-cat, Apprentice, Alpinepaw Medicine Cat Raintail, a smokey dark gray spotted tabby tom Warriors Billowheart, solid brown tom with a cream muzzle Lionwhisker, a dark ginger tabby tom with white paws, Apprentice, Branchpaw Jumpfrost, a black and white tom Poppyfang, tortoiseshell she-cat, Apprentice, Mousepaw Cloudtooth, a white tom Brineminnow, a blue-gray tom with a white chest splash Fernstripe, a light brown tabby she-cat Mintdapple, calico she-cat Redstorm, pale ginger tom Apprentices Alpinepaw, handsome dark brown tabby tom Branchpaw, handsome brown tabby tom Mousepaw, light calico she-cat Queens Aquaflare, slender and small blue-gray she-cat, mother of Billowheart's kits, Stealthkit, Mosskit, and Willowkit Hollynose, dark tortoiseshell and white she-cat, mother of Spottedkit Elders Sparkfoot, reddish tabby tom Minnowfrost, dark gray-brown tabby she-cat with white patches Prologue A slender light brown tabby yawned. "Dustfire, when's Applestar going to be here," she asked. Dustfire, who was supposedly the dark brown tabby tom sitting by a shining pool, reflecting the moon, snapped back, "Have patience, Mothwind, it's not the only thing you lack." Mothwind rolled her eyes. Toms these days. Dustfire was thinking similarly. She-cats. Ugh. No wonder I don't have a mate... "I don't think that THAT'S the reason you don't have a mate," teased a voice behind him. Dustfire growled and snapped his head to the voice. "I forgot that you could read minds, Applestar," he snarled. Mothwind's eyes shone. "What'd he say- I mean think?" she asked, getting up. Applestar shook her head. "Now's not the time for his singularity, Mothwind," she said calmly. Mothwind tried her best not to giggle. Dustfire drew his lips back to an even bigger snarl. "But let us talk about the upcoming disaster, fellow cats," Applestar warned, as Mothwind was gazing playfully at Dustfire's angry figure. "It seems that Swayclan is always there for any natural disaster that the earth throws at them... but can they survive a FAKE disaster?" Mothwind's eyes snapped to Applestar. "Fake? Another clan sets them up to a disaster or something?" Applestar shook her head. "Ingenious guess, Mothwind, but I'm afraid it's NOT so." "Twolegs," Dustfire spat out. Applestar nodded. "Yes. Twolegs are making something that would disrupt the lives cats, mice, birds, and every last organism. How? Let's just say that... it's the opposite of their last encounter with a disaster." "What's opposite of a flood?" Mothwind asked, cocking her head to one side. "Mousebrain," mewled Dustfire, rolling his eyes. "Floods have LOTS OF WATER... so the disaster that is coming up has no water, I'm guessing?" Applestar smiled. "Mothwind's right, it's really hard to find the opposite of unstable things, but Dustfire, you are also right. There's going to be a drought." "Caused by twolegs?" Mothwind squealed, eyes round. Dustfire began pacing. "Twolegs have THIS MUCH POWER?" Applestar gazed at the reflection of the moon. "I'm afraid so. But there's a cat that can solve all of this... whether she likes it or not," she added bitterly, remembring how she was forced to be the center of a prophecy when Applestar herself was alive. She felt sympathy to what this cat was about to go through. A very pale gray tabby face appeared as a wind blew the rippling pool. Dustfire stared. "That's the cat? She's TINY." "She's a kit, genious," Mothwind said. Applestar closed her eyes and imagined the cat, all grown up. "May Starclan be with you, newcomer," she whispered to the wind. Mothwind padded next to Applestar and smiled encouragingly. "You mean that we'd be with her," she corrected. Dustfire cast a dirty look at Mothwind. "That she-kits screwed, with us being her guardian." Charpter 1 "Spottedkit! Pssst, hey Spottedkit!" hissed by, basically, a tiny silver bundle of fur with eyes like the moon. "Come on, wake up!" Spottedkit, who was a bigger tortoiseshell, flickered her eyes open. "Huh? Wha'? Oh, it's you, Willowkit!" she squeaked with excitement. "Are we going to go-" Willowkit had tackled her, ears twitching. She got off. "Sorry, but I thought that Aquaflare had woken up," she apoligized meekly. Spottedkit rolled her eyes. "Well, she's not awake now. So let's go outside! As in... outside outside," Spottedkit whispered, eyes shining. Willowkit gulped. She just HAD to wake Spottedkit up to do this outrageous stunt of exploring the forest. That Willowkit had just randomly gotten the idea the night before. It seemed like a good idea then, but now... she regretted it, as it seemed dangerous, but Willowkit didn't want to look like a chicken. "Yup! Let's," Willowkit tried to sound confident. "OK, now shuuush," Spottedkit giggled. The slender calico weaved through Willowkit's brothers- Mosskit and Stealthkit. As Willowkit did the same, she felt guilty, not inviting them to go with them. But the LESS the merrier, right? So they wouldn't get caught. The part that was white in Spottedkit's pelt glowed in the moon. Willowkit glanced at her silver pelt, which was sparkling. Cool. Now the two were passing the leader's den. Willowkit supressed a shiver- if Blazingstar found out... Spottedkit stopped suddenly, and raced to a bush, beconing Willowkit wildly with her tail. Willowkit followed hurredly, her blood pumping in her veins in fright. Did Spottedkit find some-cat? "Hmmm..." came the deeper voice of a warrior. Willowkit froze, heart beating wildly, while Spottedkit shrunk, trying to blend into the bush. Mousepaw's face came into view, gazing at the bush with her green-brown eyes. Then she turned. "it's nothing, Blazingstar, I bet it was just a shrew." Willowkit neraly fainted. Perfect- they picked the night to sneak out, and Blazingstar was keeping watch, and Mousepaw, the best tracker in the clan. Great. Just great. The two kits waited for what seemed like moons, then Spottedkit whispered, "I think we should go now." Before Willowkit could reply, a voice behind her whispered back, "I think you should, too." Willowkit nearly gave a squeak. When she spun around, Alpinepaw's mischevious gray-blue eyes peered at her. "Hey." Spottedkit moaned. Willowkit stared at the ground and replied, "Hi. So.... we're busted." He sighed, and Willowkit thought that she heard a purr in that sigh. "I'm afraid so, guys." he took his head out of the bush, and Willowkit and Spottedkit scrambled out after him. "Found 'em, Hollynose~" Alpinepaw called. Hollynose, Spottedkit's mother, came charging to them. "Do you know how much trouble you are in, young lady, and you too, Willowkit," she said icily. Willowkit hung her head. They never should have done such a thing... but then she took her head back up and gazed into Hollynose's eyes. Willowkit wanted to be strong and, as well, have a good spirit in being a good cat, like Aplinepaw was. Spottedkit, however, was determined to not look bad. She wimpered and sniffled at the right times, while Willowkit tried to act mature. She some-what failed when she winced at her punishment- stay in the nursery for half a moon. When Spottedkit heard that, she protested, "but what about our apprentice ceremonies?" Willowkit tried to soothe her friend. "We'll be apprentices after half a moon anyway," she said. Spottedkit grunted. "But still, it'd be no fun to be cooped up in a den..." "Of course it isn't, and that's the point," meweled Poppyfang, who was Hollynose's sister. "That's the point of a punishment. You're punished so you know that next time you do something like that, the result isn't going to be good, punishment or not. You could have been attacked by a predator." Spottedkit rolled her eyes. "What predator? There is none out there-" Willowkit cut across her sentence. "Badges, foxes, hawks, ugh, I don't ever want to meet a hawk again, let me tell you that." Poppyfang blinked. "Again?" Hollynose had ignored that part. "Let's see what your mother would say, Willowkit." Aquaflare and Billowheart had appeared in the clearing, and they were heading to their direction. Aquaflare didn't look happy, to say the least. Chapter 2 "Ha ha, Willowkit, you have to stay here FOREVER," sneered Stealthkit playfully. Willowkit rolled her eyes and shoved him. Mosskit, who was beside Steathkit at that time squealed as Stealthkit fell on top. "Hey!" he growled, shoving Stealthkit back. "Kits, cut it out," snapped Billwoheart. They stopped. Suddenly Willowkit felt lightheaded... nauseus.... calm... but that was just the calm before the storm. She fainted, on the spot. Billowheart's paniced mews and Stealthkit and Mosskit's faces swirled around her vision as Willowkit collapsed. Before she knew it, Willowkit woke up. This time, Raintail's, the medicine cat's, head was before her. He looked worried. "Oh, great, you've woken up, Willowkit. You fainted." he went to fetch some herbs, as Willowkit sat there. When he came back, she asked, her voice unnaturally small, "Why?" Raintail seemed troubled by that question. "To tell you the truth, I don't actually know," he admitted. Willowkit gulped, then winced. "What's the matter?" he asked, watching her wince. Willowkit shrugged. "It's just that... my throat's really dry... really really dry. Hey," she said, brightening up, 'could it be that the fact that there's no water that I collapsed?" she offered. Raintail pondered this. "Trouble breathing... might be that there's not enough nutrients going to your head... because there's no water... ahhh...." he muttered. Willowkit cocked her head inquistingly. "Hmmm... it seems so!" Raintail exclaimed, making Willowkit jump. Raintail beamed at her. "How did you know?" Willowkit pointed her tail to her chest. "I had trouble breathing, and I kept coughing, I guess." Raintail looked at the entrance of his den. "What do you think about becoming the medicine cat apprentice?" he said unexpectedly. Willowkit choked on her own words. "Uh, no thanks, Raintail!" she exclaimed, waving her paws out as a clear "NO THANKS..." Raintail looked downcast. "Oh. OK. Well... you're free to go. But I'm afraid that I'll have to delay your apprentice ceremony. No to blackmail you, in a sense!" he objected, to the look on her face. "but because I want to diagnose how to treat your... sickness." Willowkit sighed, her thoughts gloomy. "Don't worry, Willowkit, I know how to cheer you up. How about a nice game of mossball?" he purrred, chucking a wad of moss at her. Willowkit blinked, then giggled and played. "Ack," hissed Raintail as his back cracked. "Ohhh... iy seems like this enderly tom needs to take a break. Sorry, I'll see to you soon. Why don't you go outside- I mean, into the nursery?" Willowkit sighed. 'Ok, Raintail." she floundered out. "Oh my Starclan! Willowkit! Are you OK?" sheiked Aquaflare, coating every inch of her silver pelt with licks. "Mom.... I'm fine, really." Willowkit pushed away. Billowheart arrived at her side. "That's what they all say, then they die of an attack of a bird of prey." "Billowheart! Eveningswift's death is nothing to joke about," Aquaflare snapped. Willowkit blinked, but before she can ask about the joke, Alpinepaw came by. Aquaflare and Billowheart shared a look, then padded away. "Willowkit! Spottedkit told me that you fainted. Are you ok?" he asked worriedly. Willowkit tried to purr, but it turned into a cough. It did not reassure him of her ok-ness. "Come on, let's get you to the nursery." and they did. Chapter 3 Willowkit poked the moss in boredom. It was Stealthkit, Spottedkit, and Mosskit’s apprentice ceremony today- but because of Willowkit’s dehydration, she was unable to attend- well, become apprentices with them, anyway. Stupid dehydration… I drank water, why won’t I get better? “Cats of Swayclan, young and old, gather by Tree Stone, for a clan meeting,” called the voice of Blazingstar, and Willowkit sighed, frustration boiling inside of her. Stealthkit and Mosskit. They were always doing things before her, it just wasn’t fair! “Hey Willowkit!” Alpinepaw called, voice excited. “Come on, we’ll be late.” Willowkit purred- that was someone to look forward to being with. She bounced up and ran, nearly colliding into Alpinepaw. “Whoops,” she purred. Alpinepaw smiled, and he padded with her to the Tree Stone, where there was a group of cats there already. Willowkit tried to avoid the gaze of Raintail, who was, weirdly enough, watching her intently. Alpinepaw noticed, and he helpfully turned her away to meet his brother, Branchpaw. “Hi Willowkit, you know me, right? I’m, uh, Firestar.” he said. Willowkit rolled her eyes. “And I have six toes on my left foot. Hi Branchpaw.” Alpinepaw gave a mrrw of amusement. “Stealthkit, will you honor the code and live up to Swayclan as a cat of one?” oh wow! The ceremony was already starting. “I do!” Stealthkit shouted, almost. Billowheart sighed from below, and Willowkit purred, amused. “From now on you are to be known as Stealthpaw. Redstorm,” Blazingstar said, and his brother, Redstorm, turned his head, eyes wide and shocked. "Will you teach everything you nobly know onto this young apprentice?” he asked, smiling. “Why yes, Blazingstar!” he exclaimed. Some cats giggled, and Willowkit were one of those cats. What a perfect match! Stealthpaw and Redstorm. “Spottedkit,” Blazingstar started. Willowkit started to hop. She was excited for her friend’s ceremony. “Will you honor the code and live up to Swayclan as a cat of one?” he said again. Spottedkit, who’s fur was sleek and shining, padded up and dipped her head. “Yes.” “Good, and now you are known as Spottedpaw,” Blazingstar purred. “Now…. Raintail. Will you teach Spottedpaw all there is to be about a medicine cat, intellectually and physically?” Willowkit gasped. Spottedkit- I mean Spottedpaw, wanted to be the medicine cat apprentice? The answer was clear on Spottedpaw’s face. Yes. “Of… of course!” Raintail mewed as he touched noses with Spottedpaw. She squealed with excitement. “Mosskit,” Blazingstar started. But then… Willowkit felt… dizzy…. And then… She fell to the floor. Chapter 4 “Wake up, little one,” whispered a very soothing voice. It was cool where Willowkit was, and she couldn’t recognize the scent. She panicked. Willowkit wasn’t in Swayclan territory! “But dear, you actually are. You are in the territory of Swayclan- the difference is that we share it with Moistclan, Barrenclan, and Moorclan.” The voice purred. Willowkit, who was confused on how the cat could know what she was thinking, groaned and wrenched her eyes open. There was a slender light brown tabby-and calico she-cat. The cat smiled at her. “I am Applestar, past leader of Swayclan… and I am also here to tell you something.” “Uh, hi Applestar, but I think that you’ve got the wrong cat,” she said, scrambling to her paws. Willowkit shook her head. “I’m Willowkit, and-“ Applestar purred. “ I know that, dear, but I’m afraid that I also do have the right cat. This prophecy was directed to… you.” “Prophecy?” Willowkit squeaked. “ I’m gathering that you’re familiar with the old Swayclan stories?” Applestar asked. Willowkit nodded. “Sparkfoot told me a story how HE was in the legend, and how Swayclan had moved from their old home, because it flooded.” Applestar purred. “Correct. Now-“ Before she could go on, Willowkit exclaimed, “Wait. This can’t be all true! I’m just high on sugar, I know it, I'm hallucinating....,” she moaned. Applestar blinked, shocked. “No, Willowkit, unfortunately, this is real. And the prophecy….” Willowkit decided that it was real, now. “Well, we, as in some Starclan cats, had this dream. Now this dream, it said… that, ‘’ the disaster that drove Swayclan out long ago is opposite to the fake one coming up. And the willows will pull itself through.’’ “ There was silence, then Willowkit whispered, “The willows are Swayclan, right? Swayclan will pull itself through the disaster that is to come, a disaster that is opposite of the flood that drove us out?” Applestar sighed. “That’s what we thought. But… now we think that the willows… are actually you.” Willowkit stared at the ground. The grass blades were swaying peacefully… like the branches of willows. She gulped. Was she really the willow that would pull Swayclan through the drought? “It’s alright, Willowkit, you shouldn’t worry at the moment,” Applestar offered. Willowkit glanced into Applestar’s sky-blue eyes, and they were loving. “But I have to take this seriously, right?” Willowkit squeaked, hyperventilating. Applestar frowned a bit. “I’m afraid so. But not yet, little one. We only thought it wiser to warn you, yet I wonder if we did the right choice of telling you so. We should have waited for until you were older, but we were afraid. The drought may have already started.” Willowkit nodded. “I got dehydrated… am I just the first of many to come?” she wondered. “It may be,” Applestar replied. “But first, just watch for anything to do with the drought. We will try to handle everything else. Take care, Willowkit.” Applestar started to float away and fade. Willowkit got attacked by a sudden thought. She started to run after Applestar’s figure, shimmering and becoming transparent, eyes still blue. Willowkit’s chase was futile. “But wait! What’s causing the drought? Applestar? Help!” Willowkit panicked. “Take care, Willowkit.” Chapter 5 Willowkit wondered how long this process of her blacking out and getting up was going to repeat. “She’s awake!” hurried whispers carried around in the den. Willowkit wrenched her eyes open again. Her sibling’s worried heads surrounded her sickbed. “Mosskit! How did you get that scratch?” Willowkit yelped, as there was a huge gash on his shoulder. Mosskit shrugged. “I feel on the Tree Stone while I was in my APPRENTICE CEREMONY.” Willowkit rolled around. “I’m not jealous yet,” she said stubbornly. Mosskit purred. “No, I just said that because I’m MossPAW now.” Willowkit rolled back hurriedly. “Congratulations!” she purred. “Sorry about calling you Mosskit, Mosskit- I mean, Mosspaw. Who’s your mentor?” “Cloudtooth,” Mosspaw said proudly. Stealthpaw, who was just behind Mosspaw, shushed through. “Willowkit! Wow. You’ve been unconscious for half a day!” he exclaimed. Willowkit snapped her head up, shaking her pelt. “Woah… that long?” “Yep,” purred Spottedpaw’s voice. Willowkit spun around to see her friend with herbs in her mouth. “Wow, medicine cat apprentice, huh?” Willowkit mewed, having bits of a laugh in it. Spottedpaw smiled. “It’s so fun! There are so many herbs to learn… so many things to do… and Starclan, Willowkit! If I’m lucky, I’d have a dream with them by a quarter-moon, when I get officially accepted to the medicine cat society,” she said proudly. As Willowkit smiled, happy for Spottedpaw, she couldn’t help feeling that she had a better connection with Starclan than Spottedpaw. But Willowkit shook her head. That was plain mean, and Spottedpaw’s heart was set on it, not Willowkit’s. “You OK, Willowkit?” Mosspaw asked. “Yeah,” she purred. “But do you guys have any water?” “I’ll get it, Redstorm said that I have the best pair of hind legs to run.” Stealthpaw sped off. “I wonder out of which cats,” Mosspaw muttered, imagining his brother’s short hind legs. Willowkit tried not to giggle. “His heart is set on it, though,” Willowkit mewed, repeating her mind. “Even if we have a gift, it’s the cats that have their heart into something that they’re truly better than we are at our gift. You may have long legs, Mosspaw, but you’ll never be able to think of running like an art like Steathpaw does.” Mosspaw blinked. “Calm down, sis, I was just joking.” Willowkit twitched her ears with shame. ‘Sorry, I got a bit into it.” Spottedpaw remained silent. Stealthpaw raced back. “Wow, that was faster than last time,” he said, laying down the water-soaked moss. Mosspaw sniffed. “I also wonder how fast last time was, because that was quite slow.” Stealthpaw bared his teeth. “Break it up,” warned the voice of Mousepaw, who had just padded in, one of her forepaws lifted in midair. Spottedpaw’s eyes brightened. “Thorn in paw? I’ll go get some marigold.” The calico apprentice raced off. Steathpaw poked the moss near Willowkit. “Here, you should drink it now,” he offered. Willowkit purred her thanks and started lapping up the water from the moss. “Mosspaw! Stealthpaw! Are you two in there?” yowled Redstorm from the outside. Stealthpaw stood taller. “Redstorm wants us, probably a tour around the territory, out first time out!” he was so excited, Stealthpaw was bouncing. Mosspaw was already walking out. Stealthpaw followed him. “Get better, Willowkit!” they both called. “You know I’ll try,” Willowkit replied. She shifted in her nest, Mousepaw watching her. “How’re you feeling, Mousepaw?” Willowkit asked, yawning slightly. She was tired, amazingly. Mousepaw smiled. “My paw feels like the Dark Forest, but otherwise, I’m ok.” Spottedpaw returned. “I don’t know where Raintail went… but let’s get that paw wrapped up.” As Willowkit watched Spottedpaw fix Mousepaw up, and Mousepaw hiss in pain, Willowkit wondered, Where is Raintail? Is it something to do with my dream? She suppressed a shiver. I hope not.